65-year-old Richard Dean of Marseilles was charged by Marseilles police Saturday with domestic battery. Dean was taken to the La Salle County Jail.
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On Saturday, at about 6 p.m. the Mendota Police Department conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Guiles Ave and 12th Street. As a result of that stop the driver, 18-year-old Luis G Raymundo-Ortiz of Mendota, was arrested for No Valid Driver’s License. Raymundo-Ortiz was transported to the Mendota Police Department where he was processed and later released with a December 13, 2023 LaSalle County court date.
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On Saturday, at about 0810 p.m. the Mendota Police Department conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of RT 34 and 1st Ave. As a result of that stop the driver, 29-year-old Austin D Switzer, of Mendota, was arrested for Reckless Driving. Switzer was cited and later released with a December 13, 2023, LaSalle County court date.
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Back on November 9th, the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division arrested 39-year-old Andrew D. Haines of rural Marseilles. A warrant had been issued for his arrest stemming from an investigation into Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child. Haines was charged with four counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault Of A Child (Class X Felonies) and one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 Felony). That meant a trip to the La Salle County jail for Haines.
On Wednesday there was a hearing in La Salle County Circuit Court to get Haines back on the streets. La Salle County prosecutors begged that he not be released as his trial next March could put him away for life.
Judge H Chris Ryan weighed the facts. Haines’ victim is in the witness protection program and despite Haines being under a no-contact order, there’s a jailhouse video of him trying to relay messages to her.
Haines has no criminal history however and had numerous folks vouched for his character. Judge Ryan decided to hand Haines a get-out-of-jail card. Ryan was quick to add that if Haines even hints at having made the slightest violation of the no-contact order, he’s back on baloney sandwiches on Etna Road. Prosecutors were flabbergasted by the decision. Haines is back in rural Marseilles and he next faces the judge on February 22nd.
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In a somber turn of events on the north side of La Salle, the lifeless body of an 18-year-old male was found in a residence located in the 2200 block of Washington Street. La Salle officers and detectives swiftly responded to the distress call, rushing to the scene at approximately 12:45 on Thursday. The La Salle County Coroner’s office was also promptly dispatched to investigate.
Preliminary reports from the La Salle police indicate that no foul play is suspected at this point. However, an autopsy for the deceased 18-year-old has been scheduled to shed light on the cause of death. The collaborative efforts of detectives and the Coroner’s office are underway as they delve into the investigation to uncover more details surrounding this tragic incident. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
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Some of us are more than aware of the critical need for affordable housing in Ottawa. For some, all their effort is to just pay the mortgage on the home they live in, and often repairs and upgrades are just a pipe dream. The city of Ottawa, with the help of Grant writer NCICG, wants to shine a light on that problem. The city is calling on Ottawans to join in a survey that is part of a grant application that makes thousands available to those very homeowners who have very little left over for the home after payday.
It’s called the Community Development Housing Rehab Grant. The ultimate goal is to turn around neighborhoods where cosmetic and even structural repairs to individual homes are reaching the crisis stage.
These repairs could also be indoors, for electrical heating and AC ventilation. Or outdoor such as getting the home ready for the long cold winter we get in Northern Illinois.
If you live in the home you own in Ottawa and earn less than 43,000 for a single-person household or 50,000 for two-person households, the City of Ottawa asks you to participate. The maximum income guidelines go up slightly for each added person to your household.
Just stop by City Hall at 301 Madison or NCICG offices at 613 West Marquette Street. If you have questions, call 433-0161.
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WEATHER:
Gusty westerly winds will result in snow drifting back onto
previously cleared roadways in open areas, particularly onto the North
South-oriented roadways. Anyone with travel plans, particularly in open areas, should exercise caution and be prepared to encounter patches of snow-covered roads due to drifting snow.
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Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 27. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
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Monday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 14. West to Northwest winds around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
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OBITUARIES:
Carol Ann (Twait) Cook, 83, of Ottawa, passed away on November 21st, at Pleasant View Lutheran Home. Visitation will be held today at Ottawa Funeral Home and Crematory from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. A memorial ceremony will follow at 5:00 pm at the funeral home.
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Robert “Bob” Edward Hollenbeck, of Seneca, IL, passed away Friday, November 24th, at Pleasant View Lutheran Home at the age of 104. Visitation will be today from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Osborne-Nelson Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial will be at 11:00 am on Tuesday, November 28th at St. Patrick’s Church in Seneca. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.
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Kenneth Duane Lane, 75, of Lake Placid, FL, formerly of Marseilles, IL, passed away on Wednesday, November 22nd at AdventHealth in Orlando, FL. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 3rd at Seals-Campbell Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 3 p.m. at the funeral home. Military honors will be accorded at the funeral home by the Ottawa American Legion honor squad.
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LOCAL SPORTS:
Boys basketball
Sandwich 79, Belvidere 54: At the Sycamore Strombom Tournament, the Indians close out the event with a solid win over the Bucs.
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Streator 50, Ottawa 36
The Bulldogs learned a lesson during Friday’s loss to Oak Forest, and they took that into the third-place game.
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Princeton 59, Plano 56 (OT)
The Tigers trailed by a point entering the fourth quarter and by four in the final eight minutes of regulation but responded to force overtime in the fifth-place game.
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LPHS 64, Pontiac 60
La Salle-Peru bounced back from a tough start to beat Pontiac in the Dean Riley Shootin’ the Rock Thanksgiving Tournament championship on Saturday.
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Hall 61, Mendota 53
The Red Devils (3-1) trailed the Trojans 15-14 after one and 25-24 at halftime and used a 37-27 second-half advantage to win the third-place game.
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Seneca 50, Serena 58
Senior guard Carson Baker’s fast fourth-quarter start helped the Serena boys basketball team to a 58-50 victory over Seneca in Saturday night’s championship game of the Seneca Turkey Tournament.
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Seventh-place: St. Bede 50, Momence 47
The Bruins (1-3) saw their eight-point halftime advantage shaved down to just one, 40-39, entering the fourth quarter but held on to notch their first victory of the young season.
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Indian Creek 63, Leland 48: At Ashton-Franklin Center, the Timberwolves moved to 4-0 on the year with the win over their Little 10 rivals.
———————————————————————Earlville 54, Flanagan-Cornell 53
The Earlville Red Raiders trailed Flanagan-Cornell for the majority of Saturday’s Route 17 Thanksgiving Classic championship game.
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Boys bowling
Streator finishes 17th at Plainfield South: The Bulldogs posted a team score of 4,797 to place 17th at the Plainfield South Cougar Invite at Town and Country Lanes.
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PRO & COLLEGE SPORTS:
>>Bears Visit Vikings For Monday Night Football
(Minneapolis, MN) — Week 12 of the NFL season wraps up with a rivalry game as the Bears visit the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Chicago has lost three of its last four games and is last in the NFC North at 3-and-8. Justin Fields is ready to make his second start since returning from a dislocated thumb injury that he suffered the last time the Bears played against Minnesota. Fields have combined for 1,711 yards and 13 touchdowns through seven games played. Tonight’s game starts at 7:15 PM
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>>Bulls Collapse Against Nets
(Brooklyn, NY) — A fast start couldn’t save the Bulls during a 118-109 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. The Bulls held a 21-point lead late in the first quarter, but they trailed by eight at halftime after being outscored 44-19 in the second quarter. Chicago never led in the second half. DeMar DeRozan led the team with 27 points, and Coby White finished with 23. The Bulls are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference at 5-and-13. Chicago visits Boston tomorrow night.
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>>Slow Start Dooms Blackhawks
(Chicago, IL) — The Blackhawks gave up three first-period goals during a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues at United Center. Ryan Donato scored in the first period to keep Chicago in the game, but St. Louis scored two more goals to take control in the third period. Boris Katchouk added a goal in the final two minutes of the loss. The Hawks are in last place in the Central Division with 12 points and a 6-13-and-0 record. Chicago hosts Seattle tomorrow night.
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>>Third Quarter Outburst Sparks Notre Dame Rout
(Stanford, CA) — The number-18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish used a strong third quarter to blow out the Stanford Cardinal 56-23 at Stanford Stadium on Saturday. The Irish led by 12 at halftime before outscoring the Cardinal 21-0 in the third. Audric Estime rushed for 238 yards and four touchdowns during the victory, and Sam Hartman passed for 140 yards and two scores. Notre Dame finishes the 2023 regular season with a 9-and-3 record. The Irish will find out their Bowl Game next week.
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>>Northwestern Holds Off Illinois
(Champaign, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats ended the 2023 regular season with a 45-43 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Ben Bryant had 234 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with his rushing score. The Wildcats finished second in the Big Ten West at 5-and-4 in conference and 7-and-5 overall. John Paddock had 334 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two picks in the losing effort. The Illini finished in last place in the Big Ten West with a 3-and-6 conference record and a 5-and-7 mark overall. In college football action over the weekend, Northern Illinois beat Kent State 37-27.
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>>Illinois Basketball Crushes Western Illinois
(Champaign, IL) — Number-22 Illinois easily disposed of Western Illinois during an 84-52 win at State Farm Center on Friday. The Illini outscored Western Illinois by at least 15 points in each half. Terrence Shannon Jr. poured in 19 points during the victory, and Dain Dainja finished with 16. The 5-and-1 Illini are at Rutgers on Saturday.
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>>Northwestern Basketball Hosts Northern Illinois
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats look to get back in the win column when they host Northern Illinois at Welsh-Ryan Arena tonight. The Wildcats are coming off a 66-57 loss against number-25 Mississippi State last Sunday. Northwestern is off to a 4-and-1 start this season. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 PM.
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>>College Basketball Wrap-Up
In college basketball action on Saturday, DePaul lost to Northern Illinois
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Women’s Basketball
NIU 67, Indiana State 62: At Bayamon, Puerto Rico, the Huskies won their third straight game behind 20 points from Sidney McCrea.